Man arrested in New Year’s Eve arson at Neighbours nightclub

A 30-year-old man was arrested Saturday on suspicion that he set a fire on New Year’s Eve at Neighbours nightclub on Capitol Hill, according to Seattle police.

Police have said someone poured gasoline and set fire to a carpeted stairway inside the gay nightclub. The fire was quickly extinguished, and someone pulled a fire alarm, triggering the evacuation of about 750 patrons. No one was injured.

Police announced the arrest on their blog Saturday afternoon. They thanked the public “for all the tips they have received on the person of interest.”

The man was arrested as he made his way to the airport, police said. He was interviewed by detectives following his arrest, and booked into King County Jail for investigation of arson.

Police said arson investigators worked on the case with members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force. Investigators had previously released surveillance video of a man they identified as a “person of interest” in the blaze.

Details on what led to the man’s arrest were not disclosed Saturday.

The brief fire at the club, at 1509 Broadway, caused about $1,000 in damage to the building, and about $6,000 to contents, mostly from the sprinklers that turned on.

Police said they found an empty gas can at the top of the stairs, which led to the mezzanine overlooking the dance floor.

Material from Seattle Times archives was included in this report.

Susan Kelleher: 206-464-2508 or skelleher@seattletimes.com; on Twitter: @susankelleher. Susan Kelleher is a news junkie and writer for PacificNW magazine. She loves meeting people and telling their stories, and believes there is no such thing as too much coffee.